Three Killed in WV Cell Towers' Collapse

Four workers who were replacing some diagonal supports for a tower were trapped when it collapsed, and a firefighter responding to the scene died when he was struck by part of a second tower as it collapsed, The Clarksburg Exponent Telegram reported.

Feb 02, 2014

Three people were killed in the collapse Feb. 1 of two cell towers in Clarksburg, W.Va., according to a news story published by The Clarksburg Exponent Telegram and reported by Staff Writer Jeremiah Shelor and Executive Editor John G. Miller. The towers collapsed while contract workers were in the process of replacing diagonal supports, according to their report.

Four workers were trapped when the first tower fell, and other workers at the scene called 911 and began trying to extricate them. The third victim was a volunteer firefighter who responded and was approaching the first tower when a second tower nearby also collapsed, with part of it striking the firefighter, they reported.

The towers are owned by SBA Communications Corp., according to their report, which states that OSHA has been notified. SBA Communications owns and operates communications towers in the United States and several other countries; its headquarters are located in Boca Raton, Fla.